Examples include emerging Tigers superstar Luke Brooks ($225,100), and Gareth Widdop's replacement at the Storm, Ben Hampton ($145,100), who have both been priced outside the cheapie range.

With less obvious cheapies on the market, the game providers hope player repetition across SuperCoach teams will be reduced, leading to a more exciting game.

The bargains are still there, you just need to look a bit harder. Here's our top 10.

Nathan Peats trains with the Eels.Source:News Limited

1.Nathan Peats ($102,500) front-row, back-row - The star Parramatta recruit will be the most purchased player in SuperCoach 2014 and is the only automatic buy following the cheapie crackdown. Peats starts very cheap after averaging only 20 points per game behind Issac Luke at the Rabbitohs last year. Now at the Eels, Peats is likely to up last year's average game time from 26 minutes to 80 minutes and become a borderline keeper, with the added bonus of dual position flexibility. He averaged 58 when he pushed Luke for the No. 9 jersey in 2012.

2. Kane Evans ($94,300) front-row - If fate had decided a different course last year, Evans could already have an NRL premiership ring on his finger. The enormous prop was only denied a first grade debut due to a second tier salary cap drama. But he is set for serious NRL game time this year following the exits of forwards Luke O'Donnell, Martin Kennedy and Tinirau Arona, who were let go to accommodate the retention of Sonny Bill Williams. Evans certainly has the pedigree to make an impact in the NRL, having made the Toyota Cup Team of the Year, NSW under 20s Origin side, NSW Cup Team of the Year and Fiji Test side in recent seasons.

Jake Trbojevich is set to step up.Source:News Limited

3. A Manly prop (or even two) - With Brent Kite (Panthers), George Rose (Storm), David Gower (Eels) and Joe Galuvao (retired) having left the club, and the future of Richie Fa'aoso (police charges) up in the air, serious SuperCoach opportunities will open in the Manly front row. In fact, the Sea Eagles now feature just two recognised NRL props - Jason King and Brenton Lawrence - meaning multiple cheapie slots could be created. Holden Cup Team of the Year member and Junior Kangaroo Jake Trbojevich is expected to play plenty of first grade this season after getting a taste of NRL in round 26 last year. Ligi Sao starred in the NSW Cup last season and displayed an incredible workrate in his single top grade game last year (1.38 points per minute, which ranks him among the SuperCoach elite for this stat). Josh Starling, starved of opportunities by a Burgess invasion at Souths, will be looking for a regular first grade spot after making the NSW Cup Team of the Year. Dunamis Lui has also been recruited from Brisbane, but he doesn't possess the work rate required for SuperCoach.

4. Canterbury's fullback - The Bulldogs have four players gunning for Ben Barba's vacant fullback spot - Josh Morris, Sam Perrett, Tyrone Phillips and Patrick Templeman. Morris and Perrett don't offer much to excite SuperCoaches given they are established stars with prices calculated on past stats. But Phillips and Templeman start at rookie rates ($87,500). Both are training with the NRL squad over the pre-season. La Perouse product Phillips has joined the Bulldogs from the Rabbitohs and is rated a supreme talent. But he was recently charged with affray following a late night bar incident, which could benefit Templeman, who is Canterbury's incumbent Holden Cup fullback and a points-scoring machine.

Zach Strasser trains with the Broncos.Source:News Limited

5. Brisbane's five-eighth - A SuperCoach opportunity is set to open at No. 6 for the Broncos following the exits of Corey Norman (Eels), Scott Prince (retired) and Peter Wallace (Panthers), plus Anthony Milford's decision to stick out his contract in Canberra. With recruit Ben Barba almost certain to play fullback, Redcliffe star Zach Strasser and young gun Jordan Kahu are in a two-horse race for the five-eighth spot. SuperCoaches will be hoping Strasser wins out given his juicy starting price of $87,500. Kahu has been priced at a bank-busting $189,000 due to his strong 10-game stint in the outside backs last year, which ended prematurely due to a torn ACL. Holden Cup gun Ashley Taylor, just $87,500, is also training with the NRL squad this pre-season. The Queensland Emerging squad member signed a lucrative $300,000 deal last year, but is only 18 and may be at least a season away from an NRL debut.

Carlos Tuimavave for the Warriors.Source:News Limited

6. Carlos Tuimavave ($102,500) centre/wing - Equally potent at fullback, centre, wing, five-eighth and even back row, Tuimavave is considered one of the great young talents of New Zealand rugby league. But an injury-interrupted season limited him to just three NRL games last year, averaging a lowly 18. He therefore starts at just $102,500, but has plenty of room for improvement given he surged onto the SuperCoach scene by averaging 56 in five games in 2012.

Former Fijian porter Eto Nabuli.Source:News Limited

7. Eto Nabuli ($87,500) centre/wing- The incredible transformation of Eto Nabuli is set to become one of the NRL stories of the year - and SuperCoaches will be looking to cash in too. The former Fijian porter was signed sight unseen by Phil Gould following recommendations by Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler, who spotted the monster winger while holidaying on the Pacific Isles. Gould has indicated Nabuli, who finished atop the NSW Cup tryscorers list with 30 touchdowns last year, will complete a meteoric rise by playing NRL this season. "We would have seen him this year (2013) if only for the second tier salary cap," Gould said recently. "We were restricted from giving him an opportunity there but Eto will get his chance for the NRL this year. He's got all the attributes. He's had an amazing season considering where he's come from and how little preparation he has had. With a full off season we're hoping he does particularly well next year."

8. Evander Cummins ($94,300) centre/wing, fullback - The former Dragon burst into SuperCoach reckoning with a barnstorming 2012 Holden Cup season. Despite playing just 16 matches, he made 36 linebreaks and busted 192 tackles, the most of any NYC player in both categories. But the star outside back hit a road block last year, with injury limiting his performances, before he slid down the backline pecking order due to St George Illawarra's chance acquisition of Josh Dugan. Now at the rebuilding Eels, Cummins is a genuine chance of a first grade spot at some stage in 2014. With Jarryd Hayne to play fullback following the recruitment of five-eighth Corey Norman, Cummins won't play in his favoured No. 1 jersey. With Will Hopoate also assured a backline spot, Cummins will be battling for wing and centre spots with the likes of Jacob Loko, Ken Sio, Willie Tonga, Semi Radradra, Ryan Morgan and Justin Hunt. A first grade call-up is very much an achievable goal, particularly when injuries are taken into account - not to mention Hayne and Hopoate's likely omissions over Origin.

Mitch Cornish in the Holden Cup.Source:News Limited

9. Mitch Cornish ($94,300) halfback, five-eighth - The Raiders have some serious decisions to make at halfback, with SuperCoaches hoping young gun Mitch Cornish gets an extended run. With back-up half Sam Williams (Dragons) having left the club, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Cornish be named in the No. 7 jersey for round one, even in a full-strength side. Terry Campese has one playmaking spot locked down, but the other slot is far from confirmed. Anthony Milford is an option, but he also played plenty of fullback in his debut year. Josh McCrone has played most of his career in the halves, but finished the year at hooker, where he put in some very impressive displays. If MCrone plays No. 9 and Milford plays No. 1, Junior Kangaroo Cornish could be next in line for the halfback spot. And if Milford, McCrone or Campese get injured, Cornish is a great chance for a call-up.

10. Luke Keary ($102,500) halfback, five-eighth - The succession plan at the Rabbitohs has always involved Luke Keary taking the five-eighth role. For that to happen in the coming year, John Sutton would need to either get injured or move into the forwards. Maguire groomed the Queensland youngster for a full time role last year with 10 appearances, mostly off the bench, at an average of 36 minutes per game. Keary will start at $102,500 given his limited showings last year, leaving plenty of room for price rises. But only jump on if he's guaranteed 80 minutes every game.

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